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by Gina Galfetti
Here we go, the Vermont State Legislature is back in session. In addition to being sworn in we should have to take the Hippocratic oath, to first do no harm. The voters have spoken by throwing out many lawmakers that would seek to do harm to working Vermonters. It is time for the Legislature to work together and make changes that will control property tax rates and foster a better education system, rein in health care costs, promote public safety and fix the Global Warming Solutions act to align it with reality. These are the issues Republicans ran on, and the people of Vermont clearly agree.
Controlling property taxes is going to take a whole system overhaul. We need to make cuts in some areas like bloated administration and look to compromise on local control. School consolidation is also going to be on the table and must come from the top down rather than pitting neighbor against neighbor to strike a balance. The Secretary of Education has been working closely with the administration to come up with a bold new plan. It will be up to the legislature to get elements of this plan passed.
Rising health care costs are crushing everyone in the state. We need more competition in the market place and a complete overhaul of the Green Mountain Care Board. The board is completely dysfunctional and is not bringing health care costs into check. How can we penalize Hospitals that are turning a profit by eliminating beds? What is the impact of an out of control VT Medicaid system on the overall cost of health care? And how do we serve an aging population that is largely rural? These are the questions that the Legislature will grapple with during this session and there are not a lot of easy answers.
Public safety is of the utmost concern; the catch and release policies that have been pushed are clearly not working. We are continually re-releasing dangerous offenders with no accountability. We must hold offenders accountable for their behavior or they will continue to re-offend. Harsher penalties and a repeal of “Raise the Age” are on the table. It is clear that criminals have taken advantage of Vermont’s lax laws on youthful offenders which has promoted the use of youth in the commission of crimes. Raising the age is having the opposite effect on children by leading criminal syndicates to target young people for smuggling, distributing and selling drugs.
Revising and repealing portions of the Global Warming Solutions act must be done immediately! The clock is ticking on the unrealistic benchmarks that were included in this legislation. We will not be able to meet the ludicrous reductions in carbon output that we prescribed in this poor legislation and we have opened ourselves up to lawsuits when that does not happen. Auto dealerships will not be able to procure enough EV’s to meet the requirements and folks will be forced to buy 2 year old EV’s 20% or more over market value. Home heating fuel must not be taxed at an additional 4 dollars per gallon and expensive carbon credits can not be traded as a commodity.
Making progress on these issues means that the Legislature needs to work together and work with the Governor’s office. Democrats seemed poised to do this as they are eagerly waiting for the Governor’s plan for education funding as they have none and created the mess we are in. They have co-opted the Republican message of affordability and now they must step up to work with and listen to us. The issues we Republicans ran on are the issues that the people of Vermont found to be the most important. We Republicans look forward to rolling up our sleeves and getting to work and sincerely hope that we will be listened to in 2025 and 2026. Democrats still have the majority, and Republicans can’t advance logical policies without their approval.
Gina Galfetti is the Representative for the Washington/Orange District and can be contacted at: 802.461.3520 or ggalfetti@leg.state.vt.us
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Categories: Opinion, Rep. Gina Galfetti's Floor Report
Representative Galfetti, you have described a trek to reach the summit of K-2.
We voters need more of you in the legislature. When your Party accomplishes any of those challenges, tell us. Those victories will have come via bi-partisan discussions and agreements.
In that vein, I offer an addendum to the last sentence;
“Democrats still have the majority, and Republicans can’t advance logical policies without their approval.”
It is also true Senate Republicans do not have a majority but Democratic Chairs cannot advance their policies without the approval of 13 Republican Senators ready to sustain Governor Scott’s vetoes.
The GMCB should be abolished. It should have never been created in the first place. The Vermont Legislature should not have established a non elected board to control health care spending . The GMCB was established to create Universal Health Care. When Universal Health Care failed the GMCB should have been eliminated. The GMCB has failed every year to reach its’ mission. Every thing they did has failed. The All Payer Waiver failed. The GMCB created One Care Vermont a monopoly that was too big to fail but is also failing. The GMCB claims it would be catastrophic if BCBS failed so they will probably allow outrageous increase in health insurance. The GMCB cares nothing for all the individual catastrophies that are occuring in households across the state. Now the GMCB has entered into a 9 year experiment with the federal government to manage payments to hospital and providers, called AHEAD. This wont start til 2027 so maybe our entire health care system will fail by then. The GMCB claims it will need more staff to create this complex new experiment. The GMCB does not need to be overhauled. It needs to be eliminated.
I agree 💯!
Thank you Dorothy. First of all-it should NEVER have been started. Thank you Shummy!! I have been following GMCB since it started!! One of my initial concerns was that they would not be responsible to anyone, esp. Administration. That was a Red Flag right out the door, and the “rest is history”!! I just want to add about needing more staff! OMG! Take a look at the existing staff! When they started back in about 2011 they were on the top floor at City Plaza (?) in the offices of the prior Administrative Dept. Then, after a few years, they moved to their current location so as to accommodate all of the added staff. Last I checked it totals about 32 to 36.
Okay-I’ll get off my soap box. Obviously this hit a button with me.
I would also suggest a complete over hall of the states anemic economic development offerings. Do away with ACCD, RDC’s and VEGI and come up with an alternative so parts of Vermont other that the Greater Burlington region can actually grow their respective economies.
What we have now is clearly not working
Slow them down Gina. A lot of them don’t have the patience, or ability to soundly reason the bills, and their consequences at anything more than a snail’s pace. That can be clearly seen in the “Clean Heat” act, and many other “green” iniative ideas that when the rubber hits the road, they find that their “great” idea is a pipe dream . Maybe if they slowed it down a might they might save thenselves time and taxpayers money.
Thank you for your service, Representative Galfetti!
Who are the ten people that run the state and have already set the agenda????????????
The vtgop can play offense, propose bills that make sense, that the dems cannot deny doing, and expose their true hearts.
Bill for equal pay, they have all the paystubs, they don’t want peace and solutions between men and women they want division.
On equality, custody 50 % men, 50 % women, suddenly things will get very equitable.
Help the poor and environment, anybody with ten year old ‘ car that gets 25 mpg+ pays 5$ registration, same for all motorcycles under 500 cc.
Use by right, boarding homes.
Organic farmers pay no state tax, food sovergnty, business by right.
Children have equal rights as a misty knoll chicken, to be drug free if parents choose.
Tax porn.
They (dems) will do none of the above, easy victories as a minority, weather it passes or not the VTGOP wins.
Amen to what Renee said!
If “we need more competition in the market place” regarding healthcare, why not more competition regarding education? Ms. Galfetti, are you aware of the H.405 School Choice bill that was submitted to the House Education Committee? H.405 is a tangible next step to improve academic outcomes and lower taxes that you can take today. Why don’t you… go ‘full speed ahead’?
P.S. VDC readers. The true litmus test to a politician’s sincerity is found in their willingness to answer questions like these when they make bold statements. Frankly, I doubt that Ms. Galfetti will read the comments to her post. Is that a challenge? You bet.
Offer Vermonters the option of sending or home schooling their children for $13,500.
Our property taxes would drop 50% overnight.
Just think, homeschool your toe kids for $27,000 per year, would be wonderful for the kids and family!
We’d have families moving to our state immediately.
Just get rid of crime and allow modest housing, suddenly affordable and a good workforce.
Vtgop will once again,,,,DO NOTHING AND PROPOSE NOTHING!
What am I saying our lt gov made state news for dropping a puck on the ice!